Wireless bridge, now with pics!

[Izzy]

Ok. Right now I have a wireless router in my apartment trying to share with my neighbor, one apartment away.

Problem: Signal is not strong enough.

My solution: Get another wireless router, and bridge the two WIRELESSLY. I already know how to bridge a network using cables, however, I'm wondering how I can get the router I want to be the AP to the neighbors house, to communicate wirelessly with my router. I don't want any cables involved. I can't just move the other router closer because the modem can't go out there. No cable connection there, plus I don't want CAT5 cables running through my kitchen.

Here's basically what it looks like now, and what I want it to look like later. (not to scale rofl)

Current:
http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/7059/badkv5.jpg

What I want:
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/6998/goodix8.jpg

[Slott]

You don't need a 2nd router, instead they make things that act as signal amplifiers. It'll receive the signal from your router and then amplify it from the new destination to do what you want.

First example I could find, http://www.compusa.com/products/product ... cess_Point

you can find a good one, that's just an example of what you need :]

[Cephius]

Couldnt you also just buy a 50 foot CAT5 cable and run it around the outside of your room to the router positioned where you want it?

[Izzy]

Couldnt you also just buy a 50 foot CAT5 cable and run it around the outside of your room to the router positioned where you want it?

Like I said, it's not to scale. It's way more than 50 feet. Plus I have a computer thats wired right into router 1 thats right next to the cable modem. I can't move it.

[Miltani]

just get a WAP position it connect your current router to the WAP and you're set

[Izzy]

Well, one of the reasons i wanted a new router was because i'm not impressed with the one i currently have. If i do get a new router, can i do the same thing? Use my old one as a repeater?

[Viena]

There is something called WDS (Wireless Distribution System) that does exactly what you are looking for.

However, if you read the whole article, it states that as it isn't a standarized protocol. So it's unlikely that products from different vendors that support this feature will work together. Which will make you need to get two new routers or one that is similar to the one you already have, which you are not happy with.

I personally run one of those with two really similar 3COM devices, the "only" annoyances I've noticed by using this is that it doesn't support WPA encryption when enabled, and that one of the routers hangs from time to time.

[Avanarius]

Could use a canopy antenna too but I dunno if those things still cost a gazillion dollars, but they're sure fun to use.

[Miltani]

I won't see a problem using two router. Just uplink the first router to the 2nd router. I would really advice using two of the same brand and model if possible to reduce problems. Unless you're really experienced in cascading your router, i'll say get any brand and such

[Izzy]

I won't see a problem using two router. Just uplink the first router to the 2nd router. I would really advice using two of the same brand and model if possible to reduce problems. Unless you're really experienced in cascading your router, i'll say get any brand and such

I'm hoping I can get my new router to pick up my old one as a wireless client.

[Devek]

You're going to have to learn openWRT and how to install it on cheap hardware. http://openwrt.org/ For this to work right it is going to be more complicated than you think.

Go to http://www.pacwireless.com/products/directional.shtml and buy yourself a set of mounts, antennas, and cables. Since you're new to this talk to them on the phone and make sure you have everything you need Buy 2 additional radios that are computable with openWRT.

Install the antennas on each of your apartments so they can see each other directly. You'll think hook it up like this..

Internet -> your router -> switch -> openwrt -> antenna -> antenna -> openwrt -> switch

If he wants wireless in his apartment he will need another radio to plug into his switch. The two radios running openwrt need to be dedicated in only serving each other.

The problem with wireless signals isn't erm.. range so much as line of sight. It isn't like moving the radio to the other end of your room is going to help much (unless there are walls in the way in that room). You can bump up a signal a lot but unless one antenna sees the other you're not getting anywhere. Wireless is also a sacrifice, when you're dealing with a signal that isn't very strong you can revert the whole radio back to 802.11b which is "slower" but a lot more reliable.

[Izzy]

The line of sight thing is what i'm currently having a problem with right now. Where the router is currently located, it has to pass through about 7-8 walls to get where it needs to go. Where I want to move it, it only has to pass through 3 or 4.

I'm going to try WDS since I have talisman firmware and it supports WDS. If it's not working properly, I'm just going to run two 25-50 foot cables through my ceiling to connect the router to the modem back in the computer room and then back to my desktop computer thats in the computer room as well.